A QWK mail packet is a compressed bundle of all the new messages in your scan list, packaged so you can read them offline in your own mail reader, then upload your replies in a REP packet for the BBS to post on your behalf. QWK was the dominant offline-message protocol of the BBS era and is still actively used today, especially for cross-BBS networks like DOVE-Net.
The QWK Mail Packet Menu in Synchronet is invoked from the command shell — in Classic, that's Q from the Main prompt. The menu itself (built in to the BBS, not a separate loadable module) lets you:
A live capture from vertrauen:
┌───────────────────────────┐ │ QWK Offline Reader Menu │ ├───────────────────────────┴──────┐ │ C Change Packet Configuration │ │ S Select Message Areas to Scan │ │ P Modify New-message Pointers │ │ U Upload REP reply packet │ │ D Download QWK message packet │ ├──────────────────────────────────┤ │ Q Quit back to Main menu │ └──────────────────────────────────┘
QWK:
Builds a QWK packet containing:
You're prompted to choose a Ctrl-A handling mode (also configurable persistently — see C below):
Then choose a transfer protocol (Z-modem, etc.) and the packet downloads.
After the download, your new-message scan pointers are updated to the most recent messages included in the packet. If you want to scan messages online again afterwards, use ''[&I]'' (reinitialize) or ''[&P]'' to roll the pointers back.
Uploads a REP (reply) packet your offline reader produced. Synchronet processes the messages and posts them to the appropriate sub-boards on your behalf. NetMail-routed messages get queued for the next outbound run.
Some transfer protocols (e.g. Z-modem) can send and receive simultaneously. Bidirectional mode uploads your REP and downloads your QWK in one round trip. Saves call time on dial-up; less relevant on modern Internet connections but still works.
Persistent settings for what's included in your QWK packets — the same options you set during DOVE-Net signup (see DOVE-Net howto for canonical defaults). Among the options:
Same as the new-message scan list configuration ([&N]), but reachable from the QWK menu. Toggles which sub-boards are included in QWK packets — only ON sub-boards contribute messages.
Same as ''[&P]'' — manually set how far back the QWK build looks for messages, per sub-board.
Returns to the Main prompt.
You'll need an offline mail reader on your local machine to actually read the QWK packets and compose replies. Many readers exist; classics include:
Modern Synchronet sysops/users often use MultiMail — it works on Windows, Linux, macOS, and BSD.
QWK isn't just for personal offline reading — it's also the protocol behind QWK networks (QWKnet). DOVE-Net is a popular Synchronet QWKnet. If you're a sysop instead of an end user, see Run a QWK Network Hub for the operator side.